Michael T. Goskowski's wartime experiences were just one interesting chapter in a life well lived, as illustrated by his memoir, "Pick Up the Pennies in Every Season of Life."

Mr. Goskowski grew up in Forest City, one of nine children of the late Michael and Rose Goskowski, both of whom came to the United States as young children from the Polish town of Brest.

His father eventually rose to become a supervisor at a local mine, and became a fixture in Forest City politics, serving as a councilman and then as assessor. However, he died at 50, as the result of a mining accident.

Mr. Goskowski, who was just 12 years old at the time of his father's death, decided early on that he would do all that he could to avoid a future in the mines.

"He wanted an education," said Mr. Goskowski's daughter, Karen Goskowski Polednak, on a recent afternoon at the home of her parents.

After graduating near the top of his class at Forest City High School, Mr. Goskowski went to live with his older sister, Sophie, in Guttenberg, N.J. There, he found work at Wonder Bread, with hopes of earning enough money to go to college.

This desire led to his joining the Army Signal Corps Reserves, through which he took courses until becoming a full-time member of the Army Air Forces.

After the war, the GI Bill allowed him to study business administration at St. Thomas College, now the University of Scranton.

Around the same time, he began working for the Apparel Manufacturing Co. in Forest City, which produced products like shower curtains. The company soon after changed its name to the Ames Shower Curtain Co.

Mr. Goskowski progressively worked his way up the management ladder at Ames. One of the employees he oversaw was his future wife, Josie.

"His boss would tease him, 'You either have to get rid of her or marry her.' So, he married her," Mrs. Polednak said with a laugh.

In 1975, Mr. Goskowski struck out on his own and formed his own shower curtain manufacturing company, Kartri Sales Co. (The name is a combination of the first names of his daughters, Karen and Trish, who now run the company.) Among his first big contracts was the Marriott Hotel chain, which remains a client to this day.

Mr. Goskowski's work resulted in him achieving elevated status within the Forest City and Upvalley community, which he put to good use by doing good works on behalf of a number of organizations and nonprofits, including the Boy Scouts, Tri-County Human Services and Marian Community Hospital.

"You've done a lot," Mrs. Polednak said to him.

Contact the writer: jmcauliffe@timesshamrock.com

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